Amala Bharatam Campaign (ABC)

It is a campaign aimed at cleaning India’s public places and national highways. Through this cleanliness drive, MAM hopes to raise social awareness of humanity’s debt to our beautiful earth and nature. Amma launched this project on her 57th Birthday celebrations on 27th Sep 2010. Amma said that the MAM is ready to take up the responsibility of constructing toilets and installing trash cans in government schools and along roads all over India if it has the support and co-operation of state governments and other organizations.

Amma asks that all of us take a vow to clean our surroundings. Amma believes that if the people, government and other organizations work together, this sacred endeavour will certainly bear fruit.

The project is first planned in Kerala and then move on to other states of India. visit http://e.amritapuri.org/abc for photos and updates from different locations of cleaning.

The aims of Amala Bharatam Campaign

1. To embrace new practical initiatives to clean India, promote health through hygiene, sort garbage, and properly dispose of waste.
2. To make people more aware of the need to maintain environmental cleanliness.

Maintaining cleanliness and thus safeguarding health are, as far as every Indian is concerned, a duty to our motherland; necessary for a harmonious relation between humanity and nature; and an unavoidable obligation to the coming generation. As far as every human being is concerned, it is his or her personal dharma or duty. Through its large-scale efforts at environmental cleanliness and social hygiene, the MAM aims to bring about a clean India.

Amma said she wanted devotees to form committees to take responsibility for cleaning their locality, approximately one committee for every two kilometres. “A chain of such committees could really bring about a massive transformation,” she said. “These committees should ensure their localities have trashcans in various places as well as signs telling people not to throw trash on the roadside or to spit. The waste should be collected regularly and properly disposed of.” Amma also said she would like to provide one million reusable handkerchiefs to school children, requesting them to use these for spitting. She said that in this way many diseases could be prevented from spreading.”

What Amma says

“It is said that India is growing, that it is developing. However, in matters of environmental cleanliness and hygiene, we are lagging behind by centuries. The lack of cleanliness in our roads and public bathrooms and toilets is proof of this.”

“India is an atomic power. India is scientifically and economically advancing. Many reports say India is poised to be the third largest power in the world by 2025. But in terms of cleanliness, we still are in diapers.”

“Western countries maintain high standards of cleanliness on roads, in public places as well as in public bathrooms and toilets. In contrast, the standard of cleanliness in roads and public toilets in India is appalling.”

“It has become a habit for people to urinate by roadsides and to spit on public roads and pavements. Even if there are trash cans present, they are not in the habit of disposing litter and food waste in these bins; they discard them by the side of the road or even in the middle of the road.”

“Environmental cleanliness and hygiene are a part of development and cultural refinement. For this to happen, we need to plan widespread awareness campaigns. We should mount enough signboards on environmental cleanliness in public places, bus stands and roadsides.”

“Our lack of cleanliness should never again become a cause for international embarrassment. We should consider the task of keeping our homes, environment and public places clean a sacred duty.”

“Just as we eat and sleep, keeping our environment clean should become part of our daily lives.”

“Just as we bathe daily in order to keep our bodies clean, and just as we use perfumes, we should ensure that we maintain the cleanliness of our roads and public places, which are parts of our country’s body.”

“Tourists are usually welcomed by beautiful girls. But what these tourists see of our motherland when they go out is a filthy country. Actually, they have become to see beautiful India, but we don’t realize this. Today, our beautiful India has become like a leprosy-stricken person. We should first strive to restore the purity, beauty and health of this mother.”